Research shows consumers need to be educated about sustainable fashion

In the supply chain:

Bangladesh: truck strike puts RMG business at risk; new study shows excessive working hours still a challenge for social compliance

Cambodia: minimum wage up $12 to $182 per month starting January; EU says Cambodia will lose special access; government says it will pay for workers’ unpaid wages in defunct factory case; song about garment workers not being paid banned; and new implementation guidelines for seniority and twice-monthly salary payments

“I feel like we understand what plastic does to the Earth but I had no idea what cotton was capable of.” Stacey Dooley, BBC presenter and journalist, in her latest documentary, Fashion’s Dirty Secrets (09 Oct).

“The whole supply chain is rotten to the core, the time for change is now.” Mark Greenwood-Whitely, director and producer of Dying To Clothe You, a movie currently seeking funding on Indiegogo (07 Oct).

“I think we’ve got a real crisis in confidence in young people and when you pair that with the Instagram culture of: “I don’t want to wear the same outfit twice', people buy new clothes in response.”” BBC (06 Oct).

“Sustainability needs to start with taking a long, hard look at the psychology of fashion.” Jess Cartner-Morley (06 Oct).

“I never had any idea the amount of waste fashion incurs, or the resources needed to produce it. Most importantly, I did not realize the mistreatment of humans that still occurred. I thought that sweatshops and child labor were a thing of the past!” Antoinette Russell, a recovering shopaholic, talking about real ethical fashion (05 Oct).

BRANDS & RETAILERS

Are Zara & H&M exploiting people? “Featuring case-studies on two of fast fashion’s power-houses: Inditex, and H&M Group, interviews with ex-factory workers, and public Vox Pops, I gain an in-depth and exclusive insight into the realities of the industry” (08 Oct – 17:14-minute video). [Ed’s note: a surprisingly well-researched and nuanced by a young YouTuber who avoids simple answers.]

USAS attacks Nike over withdrawal from Indonesia: “After producing for Nike for 17 years, 1,500 unionized workers in Indonesia will find themselves without a job so that the company can switch to cheaper labor. This is just the start of Nike’s plans to pull 30,000 jobs from the country that built its empire” (08 Oct).

Indonesian garment workers head to Japan to meet with Uniqlo: “In 2015, the Jaba Garmindo factory suddenly closed and fell into bankruptcy after its major buyers, most notably UNIQLO, withdrew their business from the factory. The thousands of workers employed by Jaba Garmindo were given no warning that their factory was in trouble. The workers were never paid their full wages and severance payments, amounting to 5.5 million USD. UNIQLO has refused to meet the workers. So now the workers are coming to Japan to meet them” (06 Oct – 3:28-minute video – in Indonesian, with English, Japanese and Chinese subtitles available).

Roarlay delivers sustainable fashion and reduces carbon footprint by 90%: “Roarlay delivers sustainable fashion through the use of renewable energy and low-impact organic farming. Their clothing is produced entirely from organic cotton in a plant that uses mostly wind and solar energy. This allows them to reduce their carbon footprint by around 90%. The company’s apparel selection includes vests, hoodies, sweatshirts and shirts for men and women, bodysuits and shirts for babies and shirts for kids” (06 Oct).

Phil Knight just gave $1 billion of Nike shares to philanthropy: “Nike Inc.’s Phil Knight donated almost $1 billion of the apparel maker’s stock to a charitable organization this week. Knight, 80, Nike’s founder and chairman emeritus, gave 12 million shares, according to a regulatory filing that didn’t identify the beneficiary beyond noting that he and his wife Penelope are directors of the entity” (05 Oct).

UK and partners launch next phase of gender equality programme in garment industry: “The programme focuses on raising awareness among garment factory workers on gender issues and the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act. The British High Commission and Marks and Spencer were the founding partners of the initiative, and were quickly joined by other leading international brands. The organisations worked with Change Alliance (India) and Treble Partners (UK) as implementation partners in the last phase” (05 Oct).

NEWS & REPORTS

Stacey Dooley Investigates: Fashion’s Dirty Secrets: “Stacey Dooley travels the world to uncover the hidden costs of the addiction to fast fashion. She sees for herself how toxic chemicals released by the garment industry pollute waterways that millions of people rely on. She witnesses the former Aral Sea, once one of the largest bodies of fresh water, now reduced almost entirely to dust. These are shocking discoveries likely to make you think twice about whether you really need those new clothes” (09 Oct).

Dying To Clothe You launches crowdfunding campaign: “This is a campaign to raise money for a major feature length documentary film: ‘Dying To Clothe You’ - the dark and deadly side of the fashion industry – so well-hidden or so conveniently ignored? This is the story of the destruction of our environment and the innocent people who are literally ‘dying to clothe you’ (07 Oct).

Can you be sustainable if you're into fast fashion online? “Sites like Boohoo.com, PrettyLittleThing and Missguided offer loads of clothes at really low prices - and they update much quicker than the high street. But how are these online retailers impacting the environment? And what role does social media play in the “wear it once” trend?” (06 Oct). [Ed’s note: article is related to the UK government’s concerns over the sustainability of fashion – see story below.]

How Trump’s trade war with China affects ethical fashion: “The most ethical option is to reduce the salaries of senior staff and CEOs, but most will either pass on prices to consumers or find ways to reduce their costs through their supply chain; the latter could potentially see clothing manufacturing move from China to places with even fewer regulations, like Ethiopia or Myanmar” (06 Oct).

Government begins inquiry into Next, Arcadia and M&S sustainability: “The ten largest clothing retailers in the UK have been asked to submit evidence for a government inquiry into the sustainability of the fashion industry … MP Mary Creagh, the chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, has written directly to each of the ten retailers’ chief executives, including Marks & Spencer, Next, Asda, TK Maxx, HomeSense, Arcadia, Tesco, JD Sports, Debenhams and Sports Direct” (05 Oct).

Sustainable apparel is evolving but consumers need to be educated: “An increasing number of environmentally-conscious consumers are looking for sustainable apparel, and nearly a quarter of U.S. adult consumers say that they have purchased sustainable apparel, reports The NPD Group. As consumer interest in sustainability grows so do the efforts of the apparel industry, but there is a clear need to educate shoppers in order to make this connection” (03 Oct).

GOTS at the International Convention on Sustainable Trade and Standards: “‘The International Convention on Sustainable Trade and Standards’ (ICSTS) was convened by the Quality Council of India (QCI) in collaboration with the United Nations Forum on Sustainability Standards (UNFSS). It was held at 17th & 18th September 2018 at the Andaz, New Delhi, India. GOTS was the Supporting Partner to this Convention” (02 Oct).

Businesses suffer for truck strike: “Truck-owners and drivers continued their work abstention for the second day yesterday, dealing a blow to businesses and affecting the supply chain of goods to the capital. No trucks left Dhaka yesterday while many from different districts remained off the streets, transport leaders said. Faruque Hassan, vice-president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), said they had been suffering because of the strike and the impact would increase unless the strike was withdrawn immediately” (08 Oct).

Excessive work hours a challenge for social compliance in RMG, says a study: “Interestingly, workers want excessive work hours due to low wages. Excessive working hours are a great challenge for ensuring social compliance issues in the country’s readymade garment (RMG) industry, as nearly 62% of workers in the sector work 12 hours a day, contradicting labour law, says a study report” (07 Oct).

Implementing guidelines provide new details on labor law amendments: “Cambodia’s Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training (MLVT) has introduced two new Prakas (implementing guidelines), one of which seeks to clarify recent amendments to the country’s Labor Law pertaining to seniority payments, and the other establishes a new requirement to make salary payments twice per month. Below we set out full details of the changes” (01 Oct).

Myanmar

EU trade privileges move alarms garment sector: “A announcement by the European Union that it is considering suspending trade privileges for Myanmar because of alleged Tatmadaw atrocities in Rakhine State has alarmed garment firms, which say hundreds of thousands of jobs are at risk” (06 Oct).

Protection against harassment of women at workplace: LHC ruling: “The Lahore High Court has ruled that the jurisdiction of the Federal Ombudsperson for “Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace” is not limited to the federal capital territory as it is competent to hear complaints related to trans-provincial organizations, institutions, employers and workplaces” (28 Sep).

MANUFACTURERS

World Bank to help Pakistan textile mills conserve energy: “The International Finance Corp (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, yesterday said it will help textile manufacturers in Pakistan slash energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions to boost their productivity and efficiency. IFC signed an agreement with US-based clothing and accessories retailer Gap Inc to increase resource efficiency in its operations in Pakistan and drive long-term sustainability” (06 Oct).

Eastman named gold sponsor of 2019 Redress Design Award: “Eastman has been named the gold sponsor of the 2019 Redress Design Award. The Redress Design Award is the fashion design competition focused on environmental sustainability and zero-waste in the fashion industry” (04 Oct).

18 – 19 October, Milan: 5th Bluesign Conference: “TraceAbility. NetworkAbility. TransformAbility. Stitching the blue way together … gathering of all the Bluesign system partners and broader sustainability community for an opportunity to exchange ideas.”

15 November, London: Leather & Sustainability in Retail Conference 2018: “Join BLC, ILM and leather industry professionals at this year’s half-day leather sustainability conference which covers sustainability and innovation around raw materials for leather, uses for waste materials within the leather value chain and circular economy. The conference will also be considering new materials coming to market and look at transparency and traceability of production within existing processes.”

Disclaimer: The Fashion Sustainability Week in Review (FSWIR) is a twice-weekly roundup of sustainability news items relevant to the fashion, apparel, textile and related industries. The views and opinions expressed in the FSWIR by individual authors and/or media outlets cited do not necessarily reflect the position of GoBlu International or any individual associated with the company.